Great Ideas for a Garden Makeover

The secret to creating a unique garden is using what you have available (or can buy for little). Prop an old ladder against a garden wall to serve as a multilevel plant hanger. Plant birdcages or colanders with hanging flowers and suspend them from a tree branch. Bury colored glass bottles upside down along a garden path to create a boundary. Paint old wicker baskets or metal trash cans and use them as planters. 

Here are a few neat ideas from this year's Garden Guide.

Rubber boots in a variety of colors become sturdy hanging planters when mounted on a fence. Credit: Rosina Huber

Credit: Marilyn Secreto

Credit: Steffen Hauser/botanikfoto

An old chair and a bike basket get a second life when planted with colorful flowers. In fact, anything with a bottom and sides is easily converted into a one-of-a-kind planter. Consider using mismatched mugs, old teakettles, or an old wheelbarrow.

A handmade wind chime, fashioned from old utensils and colorful beads, adds whimsy and—with a gentle breeze—soothing sounds. Credit: Flora Press/GAP Photos

Vintage glass lamp globes can be transformed into hurricane lamps that are practical as well as unique: They protect the flame from wind, and patterned glass refracts more light. Credit: Valerie Boersms

The possibilities are endless! See the Almanac All-Seasons Garden Guide in our General Store for more inspiration!